Our Gang / The Little Rascals - Free Wheeling (1932) - Filming Locations

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Featured Filming Location Photo

View From The Top Of Overland Avenue Hill In Los Angeles
Looking south from the top of the Overland Avenue hill in the Palms neighborhood of Los Angeles

Changes over 90 years in this filming location then and now comparison. In 1932 when this movie filmed on the Overland Avenue hill, much of the area on the hill and down below was still undeveloped or farmland. That's a cornfield towards the bottom of the hill on the left, and there's an orchard at the bottom of the hill on the right. Today, every inch of land has been developed or paved over.

Historical Production & Location Reference

Film: Free Wheeling (1932)
Stars: Our Gang / The Little Rascals (Matthew "Stymie" Beard, George "Spanky" McFarland, Dickie Moore, Jackie Lyn Dufton)
Studio: Hal Roach Studios
Featured Historical Landmarks:
  • Overland Avenue Hill: Serves as the iconic backdrop for the film's chaotic, fast-paced climax, where the Gang's homemade, mule-powered taxi careens out of control down the steep hill in the Palms neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles.
  • Palms Neighborhood Motor Avenue Corridor: Extensively documents the 3400 block of Motor Avenue.

Production & Preservation Note: Regarded as a hallmark short of the franchise's sound era, Free Wheeling functions as a remake of the 1925 silent entry One Wild Ride. Shot almost entirely on location rather than inside enclosed stages, the film preserves an open-air historical record of the Overland Avenue hill and surrounding Palms district decades before mid-century metropolitan expansion reshaped the region's topography and density.

The Plot

In one of the greatest shorts from the Our Gang / Little Rascals "Golden Age" (1930–1933), the Gang operates a mule-powered taxi service that quickly spirals out of control. Featuring Stymie, Spanky, Dickie Moore and Jackie Lyn, Free Wheeling is famous for its climactic "wild ride" in a homemade taxi powered by Dinah the mule.

The Filming Locations

For decades, film buffs have asked: Where is the steep hill The Little Rascals taxi raced down at the end of the movie? The answer lies in the Palms neighborhood on the west side of Los Angeles. The iconic scene was filmed on the Overland Avenue hill between National Blvd and Rose Avenue, a location that remains a pilgrimage site for fans of the series.

From Silent to Talkie - A Remake of One Wild Ride

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Our Gang / The Little Rascals - One Wild Ride - Filming Locations Then and Now.

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Our Gang / The Little Rascals Filming Locations Listings

Member Exclusive - Full "Then and Now" Documentary Video and Photo Gallery

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Our Gang / The Little Rascals - Free Wheeling - Complete Filming Locations Video


And don't miss the complete photo gallery of filming locations then and now here:

Our Gang / The Little Rascals - Free Wheeling - Complete Filming Locations Photo Gallery


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